


Shall We Dance?

by pickyourselfupfred



Series: Fred and Ginger forever [16]
Category: Astaire/Rogers RPF, Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers Movies
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-13
Updated: 2015-02-13
Packaged: 2018-03-12 05:28:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3345275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickyourselfupfred/pseuds/pickyourselfupfred
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I think there were a few strange things going on with this movie and this is my interpretation of how some of these peculiarities came about. Some fun, some worries. First of four.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shall We Dance?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Samantha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samantha/gifts), [OldMoviesAreIt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OldMoviesAreIt/gifts).



A few weeks before rehearsals started on their next picture ‘Shall We Dance’ Fred and Ginger had been invited over to George Gershwin’s house for dinner with his brother Ira. George was going to play some of the songs they had written for the movie.

In the intervening months they hadn’t been able to see as much of each other as they wished. Ginger was making another movie and Fred had visited his sister in Ireland as well as spending time at his ranch with his little boy. In addition they’d both heard from Pandro Berman that the profits weren’t as good for Swing Time so measures might have to be taken if the next film didn’t do so well. He’d also said that he wanted Fred to dance with someone other than Ginger in the course of the movie to ring the changes. It had made Fred angrier than Ginger had ever seen but he was tied, like her, to contracts that made refusal almost impossible. No wonder the promise of this evening was so important for them.

George and Ira had known about their intense love affair in New York and when the brothers came out to Hollywood Fred told them about Ginger and himself and their continuing relationship. So it was that four old friends looked forward to a relaxed meal and plenty of conversation without any need for pretence.

They enjoyed a lovely dinner punctuated by lots of laughs and reminiscences. Afterwards they adjourned to George’s music room where Fred and Ginger slumped on the couch, rejoicing in being able to hold each other in convivial company. The brothers went to the piano, George saying, ‘We’ve got these wrapped – though we can tweak if you want’.  
He played through with Ira singing the lyrics. The songs sounded as though they’d be instant hits, they were catchy and fun.  
‘Great you guys’, said Fred, ‘love ‘em. Watcha think Gin?’  
‘Lovely melodies, clever lyrics. You two are geniuses’.  
‘Of course we are’, replied Ira modestly.  
‘Now we’ve got one more tune, no lyrics yet, but I think Ira’s got a plan for those’.  
He played the final tune. It was wistful and seemed to be full of longing. Fred looked at Ginger and she nodded imperceptibly. This was a good one.

They went home very happy. The songs were smart and witty and they’d really struck lucky with the Gershwins writing for them. Surely this would make for success in the movie. Their evening had brought back so many memories for them and reminded them how close they had all been back then.  
‘I feel seven years younger tonight’, Fred murmured after they made love.  
‘It was like stepping back in time wasn’t it darling?’  
‘You remember all the good times then’  
‘I remember everything – how could I forget?’  
‘I want so much to carry on making films with you – I mean make your other movies and I might do the same but always come back to me’.  
‘Of course I will, why worry?’  
‘It’s just that Berman will be ruthless – it’s always money ‘.  
‘We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it Fred. Meanwhile I’m here and you’re here and it’s all pretty wonderful’.  
‘Delly always called me Moaning Minnie, I guess she was right’, he laughed and kissed her.

When the scripts came through some of Fred’s forebodings seemed to be about to come true. The screenplay allowed for few dances for them both and Ginger too would, albeit briefly, dance with someone else. Moreover Mark Sandrich was back as director. After the spontaneity and inventiveness they’d been allowed by George Stevens, Sandrich’s very logical but dull organisation could be a real damper. When they confided in each other Ginger’s immediate and optimistic response was, ‘Fred we’re professionals. We do a good job, we do great dances and we have fun. Really that’s the only important thing’.

They flung themselves into rehearsals with their usual enthusiasm. Fred asked Pan to co-ordinate rehearsals for the final dance with Harriet Hoctor and the other chorines whilst he would work with Ginger.  
Pan grinned, ‘You’ll have to dance with her sometime’.  
‘I know but I’d sooner put it off till later’.  
He and his girl worked on ‘They All Laughed’. It was lively music, good to dance to and it leant itself to the mock rivalry they enjoyed in some of their routines. Ginger giggled a lot at Fred’s very serious efforts to show balletic moves at the beginning of the dance and as he wasn’t that keen on ballet himself he loved her teasing and aping his steps. The dance came together easily even though they had a few spills with their jumps at the end. By this time Pan was ready for Fred to rehearse with Hoctor.  
‘Gin you’ve got to sit in on rehearsals with her or I’ll go mad’.  
‘Sure you don’t want private rehearsal time?’  
He smacked her bottom lightly, ‘Minx!’

She turned up of course and had to stifle quite a few grins at the sight of Fred trying so hard to partner Hoctor. During the lunch break Fred said wryly, ‘It’s like dancing with the amazing bendy woman – she’s a damned contortionist. Would you mind if I asked you to step in to show her what I want to achieve?’  
‘Is that quite fair Freddie?’  
‘All is fair in love and war and this is revolution!’  
So sure she helped him out and for the first time in a little while, after rehearsals finished, Fred locked the door of the room so he could thank her immediately in the way they liked best.

Their first dialogue scenes overlapped their continuing rehearsals and they began to work on the shipboard scenes. Both of them loved animals and were delighted that their scenes would involve dogs. Her character had a particularly cute dog as a pet and they enjoyed playing with it during breaks. Whilst filming the song ‘Beginner’s Luck’ they kept annoying Sandrich as the little dog invariably drifted off to sleep as Fred sang and they both got the giggles when this happened.  
‘I always said your singing made people want to go to sleep’, joked Ginger as they eventually finished the scene. He swatted her behind, ‘Bad girl. You’re a naughty, - and he laughed – bitch’. She laughed with him because he had given her an idea.

Having arrived home Fred emerged from the shower to find Ginger wearing nothing but one of his bow ties around her neck, kneeling on the bed with her hands held in front of her like paws. She woofed softly at him, her eyes twinkling. She looked way too cute, thought Fred, and oh she wants to play does she. He sat on the bed and said, ‘Come here girl, good Ginger’.  
She scooted over to him, tongue lolling out.  
He laughed, ‘Sit’.  
She sat.  
‘I’m going to tickle your tummy now’.  
She stretched back on the bed and allowed his hands to roam all over her body while she wriggled and squirmed.  
‘What a good doggy ‘, he said, ‘Come and have a pat’.  
He patted her on top of her head.  
‘Now sit up and beg’.  
She did.  
‘Good girl’, he ruffled her hair and kissed her softly.  
‘Do you always kiss your dog Fred?’, she laughed.  
‘Only the most obedient ones so do as you’re told’.  
She did exactly that and found their lovemaking was greatly enhanced by this silliness. When they lay back, totally spent, totally happy, Ginger said, ‘So you like dogs then?’  
‘Only adorable puppies like you, baby’.

Next day on set, they were working with the dogs again. Fred took great delight in making Ginger crack up by muttering ‘ Woof, woof’ under his breath at every opportunity. She got her revenge when Fred had to handle a Great Dane. Not only was it heavier than him but also nearly as tall when it stood on its hind legs. He was struggling to hold onto it but when, at her request, the trainer whistled it, Fred took off at the speed of light and was dragged across the set.  
‘Never seen you move so fast Fred’, she chortled.  
He gave her an evil look, ‘You’ll get what’s coming to you, mark my words’.

Their week ended with the scene in Linda’s hotel room where Petrov makes his first appearance in her life. For some reason, maybe Fred’s Russian accent or perhaps her startled reaction, they found themselves breaking into huge grins and hearty chuckles. They could barely look at each other without a smile escaping their lips and when Ginger, as Linda, ‘tweested’ herself straight into the piano Fred literally collapsed on the floor with laughter. Sandrich was visibly annoyed and in no uncertain terms told them to pull themselves together and act like professionals. Fred’s temper, which rarely flared, did get the better of him.  
‘No one’s more professional than we are. We’ve worked harder than anyone else in the studio and made profits to keep this place afloat. We deserve a laugh now and then’. Sandrich, taken aback called an early lunch break.

‘Gosh Fred’, she said when they were alone in his dressing room, ‘ I thought you’d smack him’.  
‘He deserved it’.  
She kissed him, ‘My hero’.  
He grinned but added a cautionary note, ‘Let’s just say I have a feeling the rest of this movie will have its share of ups and downs’  
‘And tweests’, she giggled.  
And of course neither of them were to know they’d go on to have the greatest fun.  
‘Oh damn the lot of them. I’ve got you and that’s all that matters’.  
He moved to lock the door, saying in his finest Russian accent, ‘Now baby I'll show YOU a few tweests of my own!’


End file.
